mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 A technician is building a new gaming PC Practice Question
A technician is building a new gaming PC. The motherboard has two PCIe x16 slots, but the graphics card only works in the second slot. When installed in the first slot (closest to the CPU), the system powers on but no display. What is the most likely cause?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The first PCIe slot is disabled in BIOS
This scenario often occurs when the first PCIe x16 slot shares bandwidth with other components or is configured differently in BIOS. However, a common issue is that the first slot may require a specific BIOS setting, or the slot itself is damaged. The most likely cause is that the motherboard's BIOS is set to use the second slot as the primary display, or the first slot is faulty. Since the card works in the second slot, the first slot is likely the problem.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The graphics card is not fully seated in the first slot
Why it's wrong here
A graphics card not fully seated in its slot would typically result in the system failing to detect the card entirely, or potentially causing a system boot failure with diagnostic codes. Since the technician confirmed the card functions perfectly when installed in the second PCIe slot, this strongly indicates that the card itself is operational and the physical seating mechanism is not the issue. Therefore, improper seating in the first slot is highly improbable as the root cause of its non-functionality.
- ✓
The first PCIe slot is disabled in BIOS
Why this is correct
Many modern motherboards, particularly those designed for gaming or professional use, offer granular control over individual PCIe slot functionality within the UEFI/BIOS settings. If the primary PCIe x16 slot, often designated for the main graphics card, has been inadvertently disabled or misconfigured in the BIOS, the system will not initialize any device inserted into it. This specific scenario perfectly explains why the card would fail in the first slot but operate correctly in an enabled secondary slot.
- ✗
The power supply is insufficient for the first slot
Why it's wrong here
High-performance graphics cards draw the vast majority of their operational power directly from dedicated PCIe power connectors (6-pin or 8-pin) supplied by the power supply unit (PSU), not primarily from the PCIe slot itself. The slot provides a maximum of 75 watts for initial detection and basic operation. A power supply issue would typically manifest as system instability, reboots, or failure to power on the card at all, and would not selectively affect only one specific PCIe slot while another functions normally.
- ✗
The CPU has bent pins affecting the first slot
Why it's wrong here
Bent or damaged CPU pins, especially on modern platforms where the CPU directly integrates the PCIe controller for the primary slots, would invariably lead to severe and widespread system malfunctions. These issues commonly include a complete inability to boot, memory controller errors, or multiple PCIe devices failing simultaneously. It is extremely unlikely for bent CPU pins to selectively disable only one specific PCIe slot while leaving all other system components and a secondary PCIe slot fully functional.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can travel over a network connection in a given amount of time, usually measured in bits per second.
Key term
BIOS
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the low-level firmware stored on a motherboard chip that initializes and tests hardware components before loading the operating system.
About these practice questions
This 220-1201 question is part of Courseiva's 972-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are building a workstation for video editing and need to install a dedicated GPU in the primary PCIe x16 slot. After installation, the system boots but the GPU is not detected in Device Manager. The GPU works fine in another PC. What should you check on the motherboard?
medium- A.The PCIe slot's power delivery from the PSU
- ✓ B.The motherboard's BIOS setting for the PCIe slot
- C.The CMOS battery voltage
- D.The CPU fan header
Why B: If the GPU is not detected, the most likely motherboard-related cause is that the PCIe slot is disabled in BIOS or the slot itself is faulty. Another possibility is that the slot is configured for a different device (e.g., an M.2 drive sharing lanes). Verifying BIOS settings is the first step.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.